The present invention relates to apparatus for opening bales of textile fibers. It is concerned particularly with bale openers adapted to accommodate the blows which are inflicted by ropes and other foreign objects thrown from the bales during operation of the apparatus.
The type of bale opener with which the present invention is concerned includes at least one opening roll which is rotatably journalled within a housing. The housing is open at its side facing the fiber bales and the direction of rotation of the roll is reversible depending on the prevailing direction of travelling movement of the housing relative to the fiber bales. The roll and the housing walls are spaced apart to provide flow channels and suction is applied to draw air and fiber through the channels and to an outlet conveyor duct. There is a deflection member for the fiber flocks which extends longitudinally over the top of the roll. It deflects fiber flocks supplied on one side of the roll into the fiber flow passage and at least largely prevents leakage of air coming from the other side of the roll. It is desirable that this deflection element be able to deviate or shift under the action of blows (such as those caused by foreign particles) which act on it during bale opening.
An apparatus of this general kind is for example disclosed in European Patent Application Publication No. 130 369.
The articles which cause such blows are frequently ropes or other foreign articles which are present in the bales. Such blows can also arise through large quantities of torn out fiber flocks. The sensitivity of the apparatus against such blows, and above all the ability of the deflecting member to deflect rapidly in order to avoid damage to this member is restricted by the inertia of the deflecting member and the parts which move with the latter. In order to ensure a light manner of construction of the deflecting member, the pivot axis of the deflecting member must be so arranged in the known arrangement that the pressure difference acting on the pivot member does not lead to any deformation or excess loading of the deflecting member or of the positioning means therefor.
There are however certain restrictions with respect to the position of the axis of rotation of the deflecting member and also its construction. In further embodiments of the known apparatus the deflecting member is only used to deflect the fibers and a separate pivotally mounted flap bounds the conveyor path and bears eventual blows from foreign articles. This additional separate flap however represents a complication of the apparatus. While this complication may be acceptable in an arrangement with only one roll, one would prefer not to have these separate flaps, particularly in apparatus having two rolls disposed alongside one another.